1766 Decr. 8th. Monday.

Dined at Dr. Tufts’s. Drank Tea at Dr. Halls Pembroke. Lodged at Captn. Littles Kingston.—I
find a general Opposition in the County of Plymouth, to Compensation. Jacobs tells
me, that Scituate voted vs. it with great Warmth. Judge Cushing Moderator did not
think fit to say a Word, nor was there a Word said or an Hand up in favour of the
Bill, tho they had voted for it in October. Keen of Pembroke was warm and stumped
Sole [Soul or Soule] the Moderator to lay down the Money and prevent a Tax upon the Poor. Kingston was
so fixed vs. it that they would not call a Meeting. The more considerate and sensible
People however in all these Towns are in favour of it. Landlord and Landlady Little
are full of Politicks. Mr. Little would get in General Winslow, and did get in Mr.
Sever—and Mr. Sever is sensible of it. We had over the affair of Collector of Excise.
Little dont like Judge Cushing nor Brig[adier] Ruggles, because they opposed his Collectorship, &c.

At Plymouth1 the Province have been drawn in cleverly—to make themselves guilty of the Riots.
Every Body out of the Prov[ince] will { 326 } say so. The Province has been brought to pay what ought to have been paid by Boston,
every farthing of it.

Paine. The Mistery of Iniquity opens more now in time of Peace than it did in Time of Confusion.

Sever said he believed Goffe would be glad to punish all the Transgressors in the
late Times. Hally said he had tryed to persuade Goffe to enter a Nolle Pros. vs. the
Rioters in Berkshire, but he would not and was very high &c. Paine said the Continent
ought to have paid the Damage.

Nat Clap. These Town Meeting Laws are the most awful Things, and the Town of Boston ought
to be stigmatized for setting the Example.

Tuesday Decr. 23d. 1766.

I heard Yesterday, for the first Time, that young Jonathan Hayward, the Son of Lt.
Joseph Hayward of the South Precinct, had got a Deputation from the Sherriff. Captn.
Thayer was the Person, who went to the Sherriff and procur’d it for him. Silas Wild,
Tho’s Penniman, Stephen Penniman, Lt. Hayward and Zebulon Thayer were his Bondsmen—a
goodly Class! a clever Groupe! a fine Company! a bright Cluster!

But what will be the Consequences of this Deputation?—and what were the Causes of
it? My Brothers Disregard and neglect of the office and his Neglect to pay Greenleaf,
were the Causes.

Who are to be understood by the better Sort of People?2 There is in the Sight of God and indeed in the Consideration of a sincere Xtian or
even of a good Philosopher, no Difference between one Man and another, but what real
Merit creates. And I mean, by real Merit, that I may [be] as well understood as my Adversary, nothing more nor less than the Compound Ratio
of Virtue and Knowledge. Now if the Gentleman means by the better sort of People,
only such as are possessed of this real Merit, this Composition of Virtue and Ability,
I am content to join Issue with him but who shall sit as judge between Us?—If a Whig
shall be Judge, he will decide in favour of one set of Persons, if a Tory, he will
give sentence for another; but if a Jacobite, he will be for a third.

But that I may be as little tedious as possible, I will take the Gen• { 327 } tlemans own Difinition, and will understand those of every Rank of plain, good understanding,
who by an uniform steady behaviour, testify their thorough sense of the Blessings
of good Government, who without Affectation evince an habitual Regard for Peace, order,
Justice and Civility, towards all Mankind. But I find myself again in the same Difficulty.
And the Q. recurs, who shall be judge. Phylanthrop confidently denys that the better
Sort according to this Definition, are either alarmed or offended at any Behaviour
of the Governor. I as possitively affirm, that the better sort thro the Prov[ince] both in Boston and in the other seaport and Country Towns (I use Phylanthrops Language
so will not answer for <sense nor> Accuracy of Writing or Grammar) are both alarmed and offended, at many Instances
of the Governors Behaviour. I dont intend to submit this Question between Us to be
decided by the Governor, nor by Philanthrop, nor any other of his Creatures, rich,
nor poor, titled or untitled, powerful or impotent: Nor do I desire he should submit
it to me, or any of my Particular Friends, Patrons or Connections.—No I appeal to
the Public, to the Province, as Judges between Us, who are the better sort, in Phylanthrops
sense of the Word. Let the whole Body of the Province then judge.—Well they have judged
and by the happy Constitution of our Government, they must every Year determine who
they esteem the better sort. The whole Body of the People, in every Yearly Election,
depute a Number of Persons to represent them, and by their suffrages they declare
such Persons to be the better sort of People among them, in their Estimation. This
representative Body are in their Turn every Year, to chuse 28 out of the whole Province
for Councillors, and by such Election, no doubt determine such to be of the very best
sort, in their Understandings.

Thus far, It seems to me, I have proceeded on safe Ground, and may fairly conclude
that the honourable his Majestys Council, and the honourable the House of Representatives,
the Public, the Body of the People being Judges, are of the better sort of People
in Phylanthrops own sense of the Words. I might go further here, and insist upon it,
that the present Council, purifyed as it is, by the Governors Cathartic Negative,
even his Excellency being Judge, consists entirely of the better sort of People. Otherwise,
it is not to be supposed, at least by our scribler, that he would have approved of
those Gentlemen. Let Us then enquire, whether his Majestys Council, and the honourable
House have not exhibited abundant Proofs, that they are almost unanimously alarmed
and offended at the Behaviour of the Governor.

The Council, in their Answer to the Governors Speech to both { 328 } Houses in May, have expressed as much Resentment against his Behaviour as can well
be conveyed by Words, ’tho the Decorum and Dignity of the Board is preserved. They
have flatly charged the Governor with bringing an unjust Accusation against the Province.

The honourable House in their Answers, which were adopted almost unanimously, tho
they have been on their Guard, that no unwarrantable Expressions might escape them
at that critical Conjuncture, haveexpressed as much just Indignation and disdain of
his unworthy treatment of them, as was ever expressed by a british House of Commons,
against a Tyrant on the Throne.

Answer to Governor[’s] Speech last Session, in which the honourable House, 48 vs. 24 voted, with great Grief,
and Concern and Alarm and Offence i[t] s Resentment, that the Governors Behaviour had been the sole Cause why Compensation
was not made to the sufferers. This I should think was a Proof Instaromnium, that
those 48 had taken alarm and offence.

Further, the House proceeded last session to the daring Enterprise of removing Mr.
Jackson from the Agency, the Governors darling Friend and endearing Confederate, on
whom the Governor had so set his Heart as to employ the most exceptionable <Means> Influence in order to get him chosen. This Removal was voted by 81 out of 87 in the
House and unanimously in the Council, and the World believes, that Apprehensions of
the Governors ill Intentions, and of the Danger to the Province from that Confederacy,
influenced a Great Part of both House[s] to vote for the Dissolution of it.

To proceed a little further, the House are so allarmed and offended, at the Author
of some late Misinformations and Misrepresentations to his Majesty, who appears beyond
reasonable Doubt from Ld. Shelbournes Letter to be the Governor himself, that they
have almost unanimously voted Letters to be sent to Ld. Shelbourne himself, and to
their Agent, Mr. Debert, in order to remove those slanders and aspersions, in which
their sense of the Ingratitude, Haughtiness and Cruelty of the Governor is expressed
in very strong Terms.

But I will not confine my self to the two Houses of Assembly.

I ask whether those Gentlemen who have the Honour of his Majestys Commissions in his
Revenue, are to be esteemed the better Sort of People, or not? If they are, I would
ask again, have not the Customhouse Officers in General from the surveyor General
downwards taken Offence at the Governor[’s] Behaviour. I say [in]3 general—I would not be understood universally. I except a C—k-e4 and a Paxton. These at least one of them, have always declared they would worship
the { 329 } sun while he was above the Horison, tho he should be covered all over with Clouds.

I ask further whether the Officers of his Majestys Navy, who have been occasionally
on this station, will be allowed to be the better sort of People. If they should,
is it not notorious that Govr. Bernards Conduct has been very disagreable and disgustful
to them?

Where shall I go for better sort of People? The Judges of the superiour Court, move
in so sublime an orbit—They tread in such exalted steps—That I dare not approach their
Persons, so I cannot say what their sentiments of the Governors Conduct may be. They
will not indulge themselves in speaking openly against any Person in Authority, so
I believe they reserve their Opinion, till the Matter shall come judicially before
them. Many [of] the Judges of the Inferiour Courts in many of the Counties, I can affirm, from Knowledge,
because I have heard it from their own Mouths, have taken Alarmand offence, att all
the Governors Negatives last May, at both his Speeches to the Assembly in May and
June, at the Expression quoted in the Address of the Lords, and especially at his
overbearing, threatning, wheedling Arts to get Mr. Jackson chosen Agent, and at his
foolish Dismission of Military officers from Colonels down to little Ensigns— but
most of all at his restless, impatient, uncontrou[la]ble, insatiable Machinations, by all Means, humane, inhumane, and diabolical, from
his first Arrival in this Government to this moment, to enrich himself.

Thus I believe that it appears to all who consider the Matter, that almost all the
People, whether better or worse, are of one Mind about the Governor and absolutely
hate him and despize him—let Phylanthrop say what he will. And indeed I have very
good Reasons to think that Phylanthrop lyed when he said that the better sort had
taken no Offence, and absolutely endeavoured to impose a palpable falshood upon the
Public.

1. This entry is a draft of an essay, evidently never published, in reply to Jonathan
Sewall, who had begun a series of articles over the name “Philanthrop” in the Boston Evening Post, 1 Dec. 1766 (and continuing more or less regularly through 2 March 1767), vindicating
the conduct of Governor Bernard.“Philanthrop" depicted Bernard as an example of spotless
virtue, and his articles drew out a swarm of writers on the other side of the question.

4. James Cockle, a Salem customs officer; he had applied for the writ of assistance that
led to the celebrated argument over such writs in 1761, and he was also concerned
in dealings with Bernard that had been denounced by “Clarendon” (presumably JA) in a letter to the Boston Gazette, 19 May 1766. See Roger B. Berry, “John Adams: Two Further Contributions to the Boston Gazette, 1766–1768,” NEQ, 31:90–95 (March 1958).